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Stay organized for equality after May 8th

Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 19:18

As someone whose day job is that of an organizer, it might be that solutions to many problems in my eyes look like they require organizing, just as the craftsman whose only tool is a hammer starts to see all problems as nails. But I really do believe in the people power of organizing, especially as a tool for achieving civil rights. And so I wanted to take a moment to encourage people to find ways to stay plugged in after May 8th, whether we win or lose, to make sure that organizing for equality continues.

It's great to belong to and support statewide groups, we have to in order to win statewide victories, but the real work of organizing is often done on the ground in your own community. That's why I think having local groups or local chapters of larger groups are important ways to get plugged in. I know PFLAG has many chapters across the state, college campuses often have GLBT student groups, there are some community centers around the state, and the new LGBT Democratic Caucus is another emerging group that has a regional set up.

Who have I missed? What other local groups or groups with local chapters exist in NC? If there isn't one in your area, could you use the energy from this amendment vote to create one? And most importantly, how do you plan to stay involved after May 8th?

There is a lot of work to be done. If we lose we'll have to console each other, do a heck of a lot of protesting, keep fighting against future attacks because this probably wont be the last one, and make sure we throw the bums out that put discrimination on the ballot.

A four-year old boy was shot to death by his common-law father, a religious leader who thought the boy was gay, because he had slapped another boy’s behind. As The New Civil Rights Movement reported earlier this month, four-year old Jadon Higganbothan was murdered by Peter Lucas Moses, 27, who also shot to death a 28-​year old woman, Antoinetta Yvonne McKoy, police and prosecutors say.

Now that prosecutors have revealed Moses’s motivation for thinking four-year old Jardon was gay, we also learned on Friday they asked for the death penalty in this tragic North Carolina case.

Video of a North Carolina man firing a shotgun at a sign against the state's proposed amendment banning same sex marriage has gone viral, even after he removed it from YouTube.

"Right now there is this amendment trying to be passed, Amendment One, and it's going to state that marriage is between one man and one woman, which is how it ought to be," the man who identifies himself as Alex Wiles opines in the video.

"So, somebody decided it would be a good idea to put this sign near my house," he continues as he puts on a pair of amber shooting glasses. "They ought to know not to put stuff like that near my house."

With that, Wiles pumps a shell into what appears to be a 12-guage pump-action shotgun, takes aim and unloads two rounds into the yard sign.

"That's how we do it 'round here," he explains with a grin. "That's all folks."

Who have I missed? What other local groups or groups with local chapters exist in NC?

The Campaign for Southern Equality is doing some amazing civil disobedience work and raising awareness of LGBT issues.

From their website "The WE DO Campaign involves LGBT couples in Southern communities requesting – and being denied – marriage licenses in order to call for full equality under federal law and to resist unjust state laws. Clergy, family and friends stand with them as they take this action.

Launched in 2011, the WE DO Campaign is growing across the South. The next stage will take place in eight towns across North Carolina from May 9 – 15, 2012."

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